Masonry building unit



Jan. 20, 1942. R. a.. KAYE MASONRY BUILDING UNIT' Fied April l5, 1941 y Korim LEEQKAYE.

- Patented Jan. 20, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT oEFlcE "l Mssomw BUrLnING UNIT Robert Lee Kaye, Newark, N. J. Application April 15, 1941, Serial No. 388,689

(CL zc-s) 9 claims.

It is an object of the invention to provide a.

building unit which will present a continuous pattern made up of aplurality of units the surface texture of which are such that the joints between units blend into the wall as a whole and the uninterrupted continuation of the pattern is obtained with the resultant eifect of soldity.

It is an object of the invention to provide a building unit with a design impressed therein or overprinted thereon in such a manner that with all units identical, different parts of the units match and acontinuous surface is presented.

n is' an object of the invention to provide a unit having surface texture and tone which yields a softened weathered effect.

`Other objects and desiderata will appear in the i following description- Figure 1 is a plan view of one form Aof my improved unit with phantom views of additional units in place and matching.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view along line 2--2 of Figure 1 with certain portions shown full size.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout. A board Il of ber, cellulose on similar material is dried to remove moisture and is then `impregnated with hot waterproofing compound such as asphalt, tar, wax, one of the paramns or the like. 'I'he impregnation may saturate the board if desired, but normally is of the character termed "surface impregnation. Various means for driving the waterproofing material deeper in certain localized portions may be used. One is disclosed in my above -mentioned patent.

The impregnated unltis then baked'and passed through a pair of calendering rolls. The back may be impressed with inverted beads as described in thev patent thus giving added strength and rigidity by driving the waterproong compound deeper where it can cement additional fibers together. The absorbed compound is shown at Il in on'eform it might take.

A suitame mastic such as sued aspiran, cement mixtures, tar or the like I2 is applied to the outer surface of impregnated board -lll and` granules I3 of crushed slate, rock or other suitable material are sprinkled thereon or applied thereto. l

The board is then passed through a pair -of impress rolls and depressions I4 are made in the mastic coveredv face of board l0. Depressions I4 lare preferably about Vs deep and l/` wide at thebottom. Intermediate rounded portions I5 have an $4," radius. The above dimensions of elements I4 andli have been chosen as best suitable for units of 431/2" by 141/2" used on and in residences or the like. Other dimensions and spacing may of course be used without `departing fromthe spirit of thelnvention.

Depressions I4 are preferably not so deep that the granules I3 at the bottom thereof are hidden or buried in the mastic I2. Rounded portions I5 and depressions Il give a soft surface texture to the unit` which in a measure simulates the effect of weathering. This toning eiect is especially valuable where substantial areas of diiferent colors are used as in mosaics. The` different colorsv may be on the same unit I0 or the units l may diil'er asv to material color and design. I

have developed a device for depositing such mosaic patterns with intricate color designs where toning and texture] are of considerable importance.

y Another and very important 'point in connection with depressions I4 and beadings I5 isfthat while they give texture and 'tone lto the surface they make the ioints between units substantially invisible. `'I'heeect has much in common with surface shading on drawings and as frequently occurs therein the lines need'not be horizontal nor need they all be parallel. The result yields anl effect of solidity4 which is most compellingA and gives a touch of lauthenticity to the whole.

After the depressions Il and beadings i5 arev formed the unit Ill is passed between a pair of embossing rolls which may be heated if desired. These rolls form joints I8 and give a masonry pattern. I

If `desired the Joints `I6 `may not be pressed quite so `deeply and additional'granules of a color simulating mortarl may be rolled theren.A Any excess may be lifted by vacuum. Y.

` It will be noted that the pressure of the impress or embossing rolls in forming joints I8 drives the waterproofing compound deeper along these lines as at Il. The fiber cementing action of this compound not only strengthens and rows and then rolled in place. l groundfwould show through the spaces between rows where the granules I3 were thinner.

rigidifies the unit as whole, but also furnishes stronger and better nailing areas.

The bestand least conspicuous nailing areas are the joints I6 since the nail heads are below the surface of the remainder of the unit. In addition because of the deeper penetration of the waterproofing compound at these joints and its resulting fiber cementing action not only do the strengthened fibers grip the nailing unit with a greater firmness than otherwise, but they also resist the softening action of any moisture which may penetrate the unit due to the nail hole or the like. As a result the firm gripping action of the fibers is continued for a lon'g period.

The joints I6 outline masonry elements I8 which simulate stone or the like. One important feature is the positioning of the edge' portions of' elements I3 and joints I6 so that they will match the proper parts of other-units as shown in outline at I9 in Figure 1. For example the bottom edge of element 20 fits the upper edge ofelernent-ZI as shown. The sameis true for bei' impregnated with a waterproofing material,

a mastic material on one -face of said member, crushed granular material adhered to said mastic, said granular covered mastic being divided'into masonry simulating portions having mortarjoints therebetween, relatively narrow elongate depressions running over the surface of said granular covered face, said depressions trative of the invention andnot as limiting. The

depressionsv Il and beadings I5 in Figure 2 have been made full size for clarity. Normallyabout thirty-five beadings I5 are used on a unit III. Theunits are normally shiplapped as at 25, and may be given an acute angle at 26 to insure meeting at the outer edges.

The effect of depressions I4 may be obtained by cutting the granule covered mastic surface with suitably shaped knives or raking it with a member having projecting fingers. The depression lines' Il may be made to wave or undulate or may be discontinuous either all together or I v selected lines at selected intervals. v

Agairi'fjthe granules I3 may be positioned on the," face ofthe unit I0 in narrow elongate v'I'he dark back- The whole face would preferably be covered with the granules,- but the coverage would `be uneven :and thus give the shading, weathered or softened effect vwhich blends adjacent units together :and

gives the ei'fectA o f a solid wall, roof or other surface. l

A`I claim: I

` l. In a fiber board building unit, a base member impregnatedwlth a waterproofing material,

' a series of narrow, elongate, substantially parallel projections on one faceA of said unit said probeing closely adjacent each other and substantially continuous from masonry simulating portionacross intervening mortar joints to masonry simulating portion to an edge of said unit and so arranged that they mate substantially with similar depressions in a next adjacent unit whereby a shading effect is obtained, yielding a softened weathered surface texture which blends a plurality of such units into a single solid continuous surface.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4, said depressions being shallow with the granular material at the. bottoms thereof visible.

I 6. 'Ihe combination set forth in claim 2, granules adhered to said face, said depressions being shallow with the granules at the bottoms thereof visible.

jections being relatively closetogether and runi ning substantially continuously over the entire face of said unit and so arranged that they mate Vsubstantially with -similar projections on a next adjacent unit.

2'. A fiber board building unit, a base .member impregnated with a water proofing material, a

series of narrow, elongate depressions in 'a face thereof said depressions being relatively close rtogether and'running substantially continuously over the entire 'face of said unit v1and so 'arranged that they mate substantially with similar depressions on a next adjacent unit.I

3. A fiber board building unit, interconnecting.

' '7. The combination set forth in claim 3, relatively lnarrow elongate depressions in close side by side relation running over the masonry simulating face of said unit, said depressions being substantially continuous `from masonryv element across intervening mortar joints to Vmasonry element to'an. edge of said unit and so arrangedl as -to substantially mate with similar depressions in a next adjacent unit whereby a shading effect is obtained, yielding a softened weathered sur face texture which blends contiguous units into a single solid continuous surface.

8. In a fiber board building unit, a base member impregnated `with Ya waterproofing material, a mastic material on one face of said member, crushed granular material adhered to` said mastic, said granular covered mastic being di,- vided into masonry simulating portions having mortar joints therebetween, said granules comprising relatively narrow elongate granule groupings running over the surface of said granular covered face, said groupings being closely adjacent to each other and substantially. continuous from masonry simulating portion` to masonry simulating portion to an edgevof said unit and so arranged that they substantially mate with similar groupings. on a next adjacent unit whereby a shading effect is obtained, yielding a softened weathered surface texture which blends a plurality of such units into a single solid continuous surface.

9. The combination set forth in claim 3, relatively narrow elongate rows of granules in close side by side relation on vsaid masonry simulating face, said rows being substantially continuous from masonry element across intervening mortar joints to masonry elements. l

i ROBERT LEE KAYE. 

